1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the present invention relate to lower limb prostheses in general, and, in one embodiment, to a prosthetic foot having an adapter connected to a foot member, the adapter configured to provide improved foot member flexion.
2. Description of the Related Art
Prosthetic feet of different designs are well known in the art. The various conventional designs have sought to solve various limitations associated with prosthetic feet.
Some conventional designs attempt to provide the feel and fluid range of motion of a human foot's natural stride. One approach is to incorporate springs to store and release energy during motion of the prosthetic foot. Such springs can be of different shapes, such as C-shaped or U-shaped. However, such foot designs tend to be bulky and may be difficult to wholly contain in a cosmesis. Additionally, in some instances the efficiency of the springs may deteriorate following prolonged use, resulting in less efficient energy storage and release during motion of the foot.
Other conventional designs attempt to provide the flexibility and stability of a human foot. One approach is to provide a foot member that is split along at least a portion of its length. The split foot member is thus composed of individual “toes” that are capable of flexing substantially independently of each other. This provides a prosthetic foot with increased stability. However, a split-toe foot alone may not provide the desired fluid range of motion of a human foot's natural stride.
Still other designs attempt to provide a strong and resilient prosthetic foot capable of accommodating a wide a range of activity levels, such as walking, running, and jumping, by focusing on the strength of the prosthetic foot. Accordingly, various materials have been used in the manufacture of prostheses to provide the desired strength as well as weight. However, many prosthetic foot designs are limited to a certain impact level and are designed for users in a certain weight range.
Yet other designs are directed to particular amputees. For example, Symes prosthetic foot designs are directed to amputees with long residual limbs. However, conventional foot designs are generally not designed to be used by both amputees with long residual limbs and those with shorter residual limbs, such as above-knee amputees.
Many prosthetic foot designs are enclosed in a cosmesis to improve its aesthetics. However, many designs are difficult to maintain when enclosed in said cosmesis. For example, the location of the ankle component or pyramid on some designs makes it difficult to remove the prosthetic foot from the cosmesis or to access the bolts connecting the ankle or pyramid to the prosthetic foot.
Thus, there is a need for an improved prosthetic foot that provides the desired strength, stability, fluidity of motion, and flexibility of use.